Scott Records 100th Mile Under 4 Minutes

May 26, 1985|By Ken Paskman

Steve Scott used a driving finish to win the men's mile and go under 4 minutes for the 100th time in his career Saturday in the Bruce Jenner Classic in San Jose, Calif., the first meet of the inaugural International Amateur Athletic Federation Mobil Grand Prix track and field circuit. Scott, 29, was the first American to record 100 sub-4-minute miles -- and the second in history -- after being timed in 3 minutes, 56.5 seconds. The only other runner to reach that milestone was John Walker, 33, of New Zealand. He did it Feb. 17, 1985, at Auckland, New Zealand. Immediately after Scott's victory Saturday, he was presented with a trophy and a watch in honor of his achievement. ''You had a lot of confidence in me, because it the trophy had May 25 written on it,'' Scott told the meet's organizers as he accepted the awards. With about 200 meters remaining, Scott swept past Ray Flynn of Ireland. Scott crossed the finish line three-tenths of a second ahead of Flynn, the Irish record holder. Flynn, clocked in 3:56.8 for second, and Chuck Aragon (3:57.6) finished third.

AMERICAN RECORD. Jim Howard of Alvin, Texas, jumped 7 feet, 8 1/2 inches at the Rice University Meet of Champions in Houston, bettering the American high jump record of 7-8 held by Dwight Stones and Dennis Lewis. Howard, a graduate of Texas A&M, tried three times to clear 7-9 1/2 but failed. Stones set the American high jump record last year and it was equaled earlier this year by Lewis.

WHEELING AT WHEELING. Michael Musyoki, a Kenya native now living in Texas, won the Wheeling (W. Va.) Distance Race for the second consecutive year, giving him the United States men's 20-kilometer championship. Musyoki, 28, a former All-America runner at Texas-El Paso and bronze medal winner in the 1984 Olympic Games, took an early lead in 58-degree weather and led the rest of the way. He covered the hilly, 12.4-mile course in 1 hour, 55.9 seconds. The first woman finisher was Julie Isphording of Cincinnati in 1:12:14.9. Geoff Smith, winner of the past two Boston Marathons, finished eighth in 1:03:32.4.

BASKETBALL

WILLIAMS MISSES PRACTICE. Ray Williams, the Boston Celtics' primary backup guard, missed practice for the second consecutive day but said he hoped his sprained right ankle would improve enough for him to work out today. He was hurt Wednesday night early in the second quarter of Boston's 102-100 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers that clinched the Eastern Conference title for the Celtics. He said he was injured when he stepped on the side of Philadelphia guard Clint Richardson's foot. Boston plays host to the Los Angeles Lakers Monday 3 p.m. (WCPX, Ch. 6) in the opener of the best-of-seven National Basketball Association championship series.

DREW STILL IN JAIL. Former Utah Jazz forward John Drew remained in Salt Lake County Jail one day after his arrest on a warrant charging him with issuing bad checks. Drew, waived by the Jazz last season after a recurrence of a drug problem, remained behind bars after Jazz officials declined to post bail. Drew, 30, was arrested Friday, and bail was set by 5th Circuit Judge Floyd Gowans at $10,000.

SWIMMING

COHEN GLIDES. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Tiffany Cohen of the United States won the 200- and 400-meter freestyle events at the Monaco international swimming meet in Monte Carlo, but rising American star Matt Biondi was upset by Frenchman Stephan Caron in the men's 100-meter freestyle. Since the Eastern-bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, the two-day meet represented one of the first meets in a 50-meter Olympic-size pool among Soviet and East German swimmers, and the Americans. Cohen won the 200 meters in 2:03.73 and was followed by fellow Americans Kim Brown, Tammy Bruce and Mary Wayte, who finished second, third and fourth, respectively. In the 400 meters, Cohen clinched the victory in 4:14.78, with Brown and Bruce second and third. Caron, the French national champion in the 50-, 100- and 200-meter freestyle events, finished his race in 51.38 seconds, while Biondi, a major U.S. hopeful for Seoul, finished second in 51.41.

CREW

TAKING THE SILVER. Winter Park High School's junior varsity girls four- oars team captured second place at the National Interscholastic Crew Championships at Middletown, Del. Amy Barcus, Barb Pierce, Mary Lytle, Barb Rapson and coxswain Jamie Knight were awarded silver medals for finishing second to Tillison (Canada) High. Winter Park's varsity girls fours team finished fifth. Edgewater's boys failed to make the finals as they finished fourth in the three-team qualifying.